Cracked nipples=bad latch?

[melsamoony]

Hey guys.

I have been EBF'ing and DS is 8 days. I have been using a nipple shield on one side where we have some difficulty latching. I have some cracking on the side where I am not using the shield. Is this a sign of a poor latch? I am planning to use the breast shield on both sides now.

Any advice? Do I need to see a lactation consultant?

[Brie]

Not necessarily. The first few weeks are rough even with a perfect latch, it's an adjustment period. Does it hurt when he's latched the whole time? My LC always said that a "three suck toe curl" was normal in the beginning but it shouldn't hurt the whole time the baby is latched.

Make sure you're using nipple cream or lanolin after every single feeding, diligently!

It can't hurt to see an LC though. Always good for a check-in. Or see if there's an LLL meeting or BF support group nearby for some input.

[ssmjlm]

I 2nd everything Brie said.

My LC was invaluable for the first couple months, so I always think a check-in with one is a good idea.

[aqualuv]

I agree. I just wanted to add seeing a LC in the beginning helped us tremendously.

[Deleted]

Exactly what Brie said. I really liked the Earth Mama Angel Baby nipple butter. I applied it after every feeding. Letting my nipples air out helped too. Good luck! It does get better, I promise!

[melsamoony]

Thank you everyone! There is a BF support meeting at the hospital that I plan to check out. I have the names of some lactation consultants if I need them.

[gibbinator]

Basically what brie said. A bad latch will often hurt throughout the session, while a good latch only hurts for 10s or so (until the nipple heals, then it doesn't hurt at all).

Probably you got a bad latch once which caused the blister/crack, so you just need to wait for that to heal and it will feel better. Spend lots of time letting that nipple air dry, and you can express breast milk onto the wound to help it heal, or use an OTC product like lanolin or earth mama angel baby nipple butter.

To give the crack a break, you can also try nursing the baby in a different position. So, for example, say you normally hold your baby in cross cradle to nurse so the blister is on the inside of your nipple where the baby's tongue rubs. For the next couple days, when nursing on that side, try football hold so the baby's tongue is on the armpit side of your nipple and rubbing an undamaged spot.